FRAUD: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by R. C. Stephens

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” I replied but didn’t want to pry.

  “He’s a nice kid,” she answered, and her answer startled me. I hadn’t thought of him as a kid a moment ago.

  “He’s leaving for New York soon. He’s working on his psychology degree at NYU. Wants to help people, first met him when I went with Shay to London the summer we finished undergrad,” she said.

  I remembered that summer. Shay and Immy toured England and Ireland. I was so jealous. Mark and I had gotten engaged, and he was working full time in his family’s sandwich bar. He didn’t have money to take the trip, and back then I couldn’t imagine being away from him for a whole month. How things had changed.

  “That’s impressive.”

  Immy nodded. “Shay’s grandparents are footing the bill. His mom never went to college. They’re really adamant about Hayes getting a proper education. His grandfather fought in World War II. He was proud of him for enlisting. His grandfather is an Oxford alumni, and he was hoping he’d go there, but Hayes wanted New York,” Immy explained.

  I wondered why he wouldn’t want to go back home.

  Immy and I were lucky enough to have our parents foot the bill for college. My father had always wanted my brother to become a veterinarian like himself, but Matt was never into animals. He preferred surfing. I was a disappointment to Dad too, since I came home from UCLA with Mark and said we were getting married. My parents wanted me to finish veterinary school first and then marry Mark. I had been ridiculously in love, and all I could think about was marrying him and having his babies. I assumed everything else would work itself out. Love was blind. It had been my first real life lesson.

  Chapter Two

  Hayes

  While the ladies went off to feed the kids at a diner along the boardwalk, I took off, needing some personal space.

  I felt like a dog in heat around my cousin’s wife’s best friend. Natalia was gorgeous with her long blonde hair and navy-blue eyes. Her body was smoking hot, but there was something deeper reeling me in. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  I couldn’t help but overhear her and Immy talking about her husband, and maybe it’s hard for me to truly trust people, but something seemed off with her story. Any guy that was away from a woman like that for three weeks must return a starved man. I’d want to feast on every inch of her body. I didn’t even know what she would feel like, and I craved her. There was something about her. Normally when people asked me about the military I wanted to run in the opposite direction. I enlisted after mum died. I’m pretty sure mum waited until I was eighteen to off herself. As if eighteen was truly an adult. I didn’t have a father, and I was still a kid. I had my grandparents, but they were older, and it was live with them and start uni at Oxford or enlist.

  Gramps had been a World War II fighter. Growing up, he shared his war stories and I thought of him as my hero since my father was a big loser. My father drank too much and didn’t work to support us. When mom finally left him, I felt relieved. In some ways I wanted to be like grandpa, but if I was being honest with myself, I had been toxic when I enlisted, wanting my life to end on some level. It’s the only rationale I had for enlisting when our country was engaged in full on war far from home.

  I had to shake off my nerves. Thinking of the war put me in a bad place. Thinking of mum had the same effect. We were always a team. She suffered from mental illness though, and our life became complicated when she lost her job. I started a slow jog on the beach, needing to burn off my nervous energy. Visions of Natalia crossed my mind. The way her full breasts moved in the water as the waves carried her body up and down. I was getting a stiffy thinking of her. Not the effect I wanted in the middle of a jog.

  I reminded myself she was Immy’s very married friend with a daughter. Nothing about those words felt like a deterrent. My body wanted her. I thought of us back in the water. I imagined taking her hands and wrapping them around my neck as she wrapped her legs around my waist grinding into my cock. Jesus! I gave my head a good shake. I should have brought my headphones along so I would have music to drown out my thoughts. I was only here for a few weeks. I sure as hell had enough sex traveling through South America. Why was I lusting over an older married woman? I had no clue, but I was drawn to her like a magnet. I had to push these thoughts away.

  Chapter Three

  Natalia

  The sun was beginning to set, and the breeze picked up when we made our way back to the blankets. I saw Hayes in the distance, all broad shoulders and narrow waist, his torso rippled with each step toward us, and I couldn’t help drinking him in. I wanted to ask Immy exactly how old he was, but he was already in front of us so that couldn’t happen and I shouldn’t have cared anyway.

  “I have a wind surfer for another hour. Rented it down the beach. Do you want to try?” he asked.

  I thought he was talking to Immy since I pulled my gaze away from him.

  “Natalia?” he asked, and the way my name rolled off his tongue was sinful.

  “Oh me?” my eyes turned a little round. “Sorry. I thought you were asking Immy.” Immy rolled her eyes at me. It was obvious he asked me, and neither of them noticed my quickened pulse, but it felt like they did.

  “If I took Immy windsurfing my cousin would kill me. She’s pregnant.” He threw his head back, laughing a hearty laugh. Way to go putting my foot in my mouth.

  “That’s true. Shay would have your head,” I agreed.

  “You guys . . .” Immy whined.

  “What? You’re lucky to have a doting husband. Don’t complain. It’s a good thing.” I winked.

  “So?” he asked, and this time I felt his attention on me. I looked up. The sun was behind him, creating a halo. Oh dear. I swallowed hard, feeling like a teenager again while checking out a hot guy.

  “Just go, Natalia,” Immy urged. “She never does anything fun. Trust me, this would be good for her,” she said to Hayes.

  My face scrunched up. “Hey, I’m fun.” I crossed my arms over my chest and pushed out my lower lip, looking at Immy.

  “Name the last fun thing you did.” She tilted her chin up at me.

  I opened my mouth to speak and snapped it shut. I had nothing.

  “See, I told you. Now go.” She waved me off. “Don’t worry. I’ll take Lewis and Lily to play in the sand.”

  “Umm.” I was still thinking. I was a fun person. I always liked to have fun. I was just busy with life. I was busy adulting. That was an actual thing. How did people have time to include fun while adulting? I didn’t have a clue. “I really shouldn’t,” I answered. I shouldn’t be spending time with this young attractive guy who caused my body to react in ways that had been dormant for so long.

  “It’s just windsurfing. You said you liked to surf. This should be easy for you,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “I haven’t surfed in years.” I admitted as nerves bubbled in my stomach. I’d changed after Lily was born. I wasn’t up for taking the risks I used to take before she was born.

  “It’s like riding a bike or . . .” He paused, a mischievous glint appeared in his blue eyes and curled his mouth.

  “Don’t go there. We have kids here,” Immy reminded him, lifting a pointed finger at him.

  He pressed his lips together and swiped a hand down his chin. His face was smooth except for a five o’clock shadow along his jaw line, although it wasn’t very pronounced.

  “You coming?” He extended a hand to help me up. I was wearing a bikini with my cut-offs on.

  “Fine,” I gave a playful grunt, took his hand and allowed him to help me up. This was completely innocent. I shouldn’t feel bad about having fun.

  I removed my shorts and I couldn’t be the only one who noticed how he watched me so intently.

  “Be back soon,” I said to Immy, then I gave my daughter a kiss and walked toward the shore with Hayes.

  “Do you windsurf a lot?” I asked Hayes. Yes, I was qualifying him. If he was taking me out there, I needed to know he knew what
he was doing.

  He grinned. “I sense your anxiety.”

  “I wasn’t really trying to hide it.” I cocked a brow.

  He laughed. “I like you.”

  “I’m easy to like.” I shrugged.

  He laughed a deep sexy laugh and shook his head like I was trouble.

  I didn’t answer him. I didn’t think it would be appropriate for me to tell him I liked him too.

  “Brazil was my first time. Did I mention I’m a really fast learner?” Now he arched a brow at me.

  “You didn’t.” My lips quirked on one side.

  “I was there for a month and went at it every day. Does that sound like enough experience?” He smirked, and I don’t know why it felt like the conversation shifted, and he was talking about something else. Maybe my own mind shifted to the gutter and the thought of Hayes and me in a compromising position made my blood boil. Just because I hadn’t had sex in six months didn’t mean I should be reacting this way. I internally scolded myself. My poor husband was home after a rough trip, and there I was lusting over a young guy.

  “Okay, I’m sold. Show me what to do,” I relented. How could I not? He was funny and honest, gorgeous . . . I was clearly in trouble.

  “And to ease your mind, you should know I was in the Special Boat Service, part of the Royal Navy. I’m a strong swimmer. You’re safe with me, Natalia.” My name did that rolling thing off his tongue again.

  “What does that mean? The Special Boat Service . . . it sounds like a boat rental place.” I laughed and cringed a little. I didn’t have a clue about the make-up of the British Army.

  “Funny, it is an odd name. Guess you’d say SEAL here in America.” He shrugged.

  I blinked twice. “You were a SEAL?”

  “The equivalent, yes,” he said like it was no big deal.

  “So, you were putting on a show before about being scared of sharks,” I said, narrowing my eyes on him.

  “Shite, busted.” He laughed. “It worked though, you did stay in the water with me longer because of it.”

  My cheeks burned. How did I answer that? This kid, as Immy put it, was smooth, and I was out of my element with him. “You know I’m married, right?” I had to say it because he was clearly flirting.

  He sucked in his upper lip. “I know. Doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy looking and talking to you.” He smirked mischievously.

  “Do you say everything that’s on your mind?” Both my brows rose.

  “Lord, not at all, that would make me a real wanker. You wouldn’t want to know what I was thinking now, luv.” The way that accent rolled off his tongue made my belly do backflips. “Now back to windsurfing. It would be a shame if you didn’t get to try it. I mean you said you loved surfing; trust me when I say this is a blast.”

  “I haven’t had a rush in a long time,” I admitted. He extended his hand for me to go ahead. We walked toward the water and Hayes stopped to get the windsurfer ready.

  “Let’s go.” He pushed the board into the water until we were waist deep.

  The sun begun to set, creating a rainbow of peach, violet, and lemon in the sky. I’d always loved this time of day at the beach when the sun and ocean would meet. It felt magical to me even as a child. Now I envisioned the sun and ocean as lovers reuniting at the end of the day.

  “This is the perfect time of day. To sail across the ocean as the sun meets the water. Having the wind blow at your face. It’s liberating,” Hayes said, and it was like he could almost read my mind.

  I got goosebumps as he pushed the board toward me. “You’re going to hop on. I will wait until you’re steady, then I’ll pass you the sail,” he explained.

  I climbed on while his palm held the board in place. A slight wave rolled in, shaking my legs. This wasn’t the same as catching a wave at the right time. Hayes moved his hands from the board to my waist and steadied me. I liked his hands on me too much.

  I looked down at his untamed caramel blond ringlets. His blue eyes were translucent in the water, and my belly flipped.

  “You good?” he asked, holding on to me with one hand while walking around the board.

  “Yes.” I was more than good. I was having fun. When was the last time I had fun that didn’t consist of time spent with my daughter? Lily was my life, and I adored her, but I missed doing adult things. Mark was always too busy.

  “I’m going to pass you the sail. You’ll need to steer. Lean into the waves, pay attention to the wind.” My nerves caused my heart to race.

  “Not sure how I’m going to do that,” I retorted, my voice shaky, but Hayes was busy lifting the sail out of the water.

  “Grab the handle.”

  “I don’t think I can.” I winced. I wasn’t the fearless girl I had once been. Having my daughter changed me. Now I had a little person who depended on me, and that made me more cautious, more aware of things that could cause me to get hurt.

  “Okay.” He clearly read my fear. Before I knew what was happening, he was walking around the sail back to the board. “Sit,” he ordered. I was confused but I listened. He got on the board beside me. He stood up and said, “We are going to sail together the first time.” He gave me a hand to help me up. I was shaky on my feet, and he placed his hand at my hip and steadied me. His touch did dangerous things to my insides, but I pushed those thoughts away.

  Hayes leaned forward and slowly lifted the sail. “Hold on with me.” Before I realized what was happening, we were moving.

  Hayes’s large frame behind me felt like a protective barrier. Holding up the sail, he guided us over waves, turning a little so we picked up speed.

  “Holy shit,” I screamed as the warm wind brushed my cheeks.

  “See, I told you.” I couldn’t see his face but I guessed his smile was as wide as mine.

  He was good at windsurfing. Guiding us across the beach, I saw Lily and Lewis playing together.

  “This is fun.” I laughed probably from the rush of adrenaline.

  “It is.” Hayes laughed too.

  We passed the shoreline. Gliding and turning. It was different than surfing. With surfing you looked for the ultimate wave and rode it out and the rush was over. This felt like it could go on forever.

  We began to slow. “You want to try on your own now?” he asked, close to my ear. Goosebumps erupted down my neck.

  “Yes.” I smiled widely. We slowed and Hayes got in the water. “How will I know how to turn this thing? What if I head too far out and can’t make my way back?” I had a thousand fears running through my mind. I always did.

  “Just lean into the turns and pull the sails. I’m going to stay right here watching you. If anything happens, I’ll have the lifeguard grab his boat.” Hayes sounded so reassuringly, I gave in to the temptation. To wanting to feel that liberating feeling again.

  “Okay.” He stood behind me in the water. His hands were up in the air spotting me as I stood up again slowly. He helped me grab the bar for the sail. And I was off. Scared for my life those first few seconds, I questioned what the hell I was doing out there. This was dangerous. I could get hurt. What would happen to Lily? My usual fears plagued me. Then I got my footing. I maneuvered the sail. I leaned into the turns, and I was windsurfing. Laughter bubbled from my chest. The wind whipped my cheeks, spreading my smile wider. I went far out, which made me a little nervous, but I turned and came around. I headed toward Hayes waving at me close to shore. As I neared the shore, I saw him holding his heart.

  “You had me a little nervous there,” he shouted as I glided past him. “You started to go deep, and I wondered if you were coming back.” That accent of his once again did strange things to my insides.

  “I’m good,” I shouted back, circling the area. I continued on a few more minutes, feeling free and enjoying the moment of fun and laughter while remembering a time when those feelings had been common in my life. I saw Lily content, playing in the sand, and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

  I came around again. Hayes lay on the shore, a
llowing the waves to brush over his body as he watched me.

  “I don’t know how to stop,” I screamed as I passed him.

  His full lips turned up and he licked them. “You can drop the sail,” he shouted.

  “Just like that?” I asked, whisking by. The liberating feeling waned as fear crept up my insides.

  “Yes, I assure you that is the way to do it.” He smirked.

  My eyes were wide. I slowed down, hoping I could drop the sail when I stopped. “I can’t drop it if I’m still moving.”

  He got out and swam toward me. His arms moving fast and hard in the water. He wasn’t joking about being a strong swimmer; his front crawl was fierce. He swam to the board. I was guessing we were deeper than he could reach.

  “Drop it now.” He climbed up on the board placing his arms around my hips. “I’ve got you.” I did what he said and leaned into his arms. I dropped the sail, and he guided me to sit beside him on the board.

  “You’re beautiful, Natalia,” he said, looking me in the eyes again.

  My pulse sped up.

  When had Mark ever said anything to me with that look in his eyes? Maybe when we first dated.

  “You are very young. Hayes,” I reminded him. “And I’m married,” I reminded myself.

  “That’s too bad. And I’m not that young. I’m twenty-three,” he said. I was twenty-nine. If only I was younger and single. It wasn’t fair to Mark to think it, but it was a little stupid fantasy. I was sure everyone had those about someone. Besides Mark had never been shy about checking out the pretty girls wherever we went, and he was a looker himself so I was used to women of all ages eyeing him. I had lost almost all my pregnancy weight from having Lily, but that didn’t stop Mark’s wandering eyes; it shouldn’t have irked me, but it did and made me feel self conscious when deep down I knew I looked good and should own it. Maybe it was because my dad cheated on Mom, I don’t know. I liked having Mark’s full attention, and it was something he wasn’t willing to give.